Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-06-17

to parlake daily Of Il esh gathered We ret
ablcs from ones garden. the product of
his labor. promotive alike Of health
and pleasure, are no mean gratiiica-
tons; aud vet they are privileges. | am
too sorry to say, which. though all can
enjoy. but few. comparatively, at pres
ent do participate in.
Let me enumcrate some Of the good
things, conducive alike TO health and
innocent gratillcat on. which "A garden
may be made to produce with very
little expense. Our perennial products.
which require very little care after they
are once established. | will name of
fruits, the strawberry Qor these will be
smothered by the grass on "A well-c con
Quoted farm. the currant, gOoseberry,
plum, pear, ounce. grape, and. in sit
uations where they will thrive, the
apricot and peach. But Of fruits, |
would have none but the best sorts;
for the best are as cheap u the worst,
are rs easily cultivated, and are intin-
itely more healthy and grateful. These.
if well selected, will give a succession
of fruit from June to November, and
in preserved state during the year.
Plants, TO begin with. will cost from
So to 50. They may be multiplied by
grating. budding, etc, by the boys or
men of the family, without any ex-
pense. The trees should be so arrang-
ed As to shade as little as possible the
grounds that are to be titled. Half
dozen roots OF the pie-plant (rhubarb)
will furnish abundant materials for
pies and tarts, little. If any, inferior to
the gooseberry. from April TO July, or
until the fruit is sufficiently advanced
TO supply its place. These should be
planted two feet apart in good soil.
\ bed of 40X3l feet will supply the
table with delicious asparagus during
part of April, and the whole of May
and June, if kept in good order. For
/ this the ground should De dug deep
and made rich. The seed, VIII ch will
cost a shilling, should be sown in drills
first of May; the bed should be kept
free from weeds, and the ground fork
ed in the Spring. The third year it
/ viii be fit to cut. Or roots may be
which will give crop the Sec
Ond year. Plant them six inches
apart IN the drills. About 250 plants
viii fill IA bed of the given diment ons.
Among the perenn.als | may also class
some medical plants and sweet herbs
WHICH are useful and necessary in the
economy of Il family, such Is sage.
thyme, hyssop. balm, rue tansy, worm
wood, etc, which it requires ten times
the labor to beg from more provdent
neighbors than it does to IA Sc in our
garden. The annual products which 60
towards subsisting "A family, and which
are seldom produced but in the garden,
are numerous, as the onion. beet. car
rot, parsnip, cabbage, peas. beans, pot
herbs, salads, rad shes, squash, cucum-
Der, melon, etc. Some OF these are in
/
them afford valuable Winter stores.
These productions of the garden
which have named-aud the list m ght
| be greatly extended-are all useful in
the economy of a family. They afford
grateful variety, and tend to lessen,
in no inconsiderable degree. the guam
tity Of more solid and expensive food
which would be required without them;
and yet they may all be produced in
sufficient quantities for an ordinary
family on quarter of an acre of ground
and without ser ously abstracting from
the ordinary labors of the farm A
garden is truly Il matter OF economy in
pecuniary point of view; but when
add to this consideration the comfort
and pleasure which it affords, | am per-
suaded am in the line of duty, in
commenting the subject to the particu-
lar consideration of my readers.
1t is not my purpose at present to pre-
scribe rules for laying out or managing
garden; yet | cannot forbear to sug-
gcst that the first step should be- to en-
close it with IA good substantial fence.
and to keep that At all times in repair
SO rs eilectually to exclude hoof and
hog.
| have said nothing of the sale of the
surplus products of Il garden, although
hardly any location IS without a market
for such products; nor have | noticed
the ornamental department, because
the wife or daughters VIII see to tn 10;
they will have their shrubcry and the ir
flower border.